Nonfiction
‘Against the Tide: The best of Roger Scruton’s Columns, Commentaries, and Criticism’
By Roger ScrutonIn this posthumous collection we find some of the best columns written by this philosopher and conservative man of letters. His work spans from the 1980s to Dec. 2019, just weeks before his death. He wrote with the quiet passion on topics like racism, the meaning of fascism, family, art, and education. One sentence, one of the last things Scruton wrote, is worth the price of the book: “Coming close to death you begin to know what life means, and what it means is gratitude.”
Biography
‘Nemesis: Medieval England’s Greatest Enemy’
By Catherine HanleyPhilip Augustus was crowned King of France in 1179 and reigned until 1223. This new biography of Philip II presents a Philip far different from the stereotype found in the English histories of the Plantagenets with whom he battled. Instead of an unprincipled scoundrel, Philip is shown as a shrewd, intelligent leader who assumed the throne in his mid-teens. This well-researched and well-written book shows how he steered France through difficult times, and turned it into a major power.
Jance has written mysteries for more than 40 years. Her longest-running series involves J.P. Beaumont, a Seattle and later Washington State cop. Her next series centered on Joanna Brady, sheriff of Arizona’s Cochise County. In this book, the two work together. A promising artist with Washington State connections is murdered in Arizona. As Brady investigates, Washington State sends Beaumont to help. The two initially clash, but eventually work together to solve a crime neither could have figured out alone.
Memoirs
‘The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman: The Complete Annotated Edition’
Edited by John F. Marszalek, Louie P. Gallo, and David S. NolenClassics
‘Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder’
By Evelyn WaughSet mostly between the two world wars and published in 1945, “Brideshead” centers on a wealthy and disintegrating Catholic family, the Flytes, as described by narrator Charles Ryder. Through their story, Waugh explores several themes: the meaning and saving graces of faith, the passing away of old families and tradition, the twisted paths of love, and the emergence of modernist morality. It’s an extraordinary novel for its masterful command of language and insights into the human heart.
Soothing and simple, “Time for Bed” features parent and baby animal pairings at bedtime. Lovely nighttime images beckon the reader to whisper through the soft words as each little creature is put to bed. The book finishes with a mother and child and reads, “The stars on high are shining bright—Sweet dreams, my darling, sleep well … good night!”
